Egypt issues another warning to Ethiopia over GERD
Sewilam's remarks came during a phone interview with Ahmed Moussa's TV show 'Ala Massoulity' (On My Responsibility) on Saturday.
Egypt is closely monitoring developments regarding the GERD, and has emphasized the need for Ethiopia to adhere to international law and recognize Egypt's water rights.
Water relations with the southern Nile Basin countries, such as Tanzania, Congo, and South Sudan are good, while they remain tense with Ethiopia.
The minister explained that Egypt faces water scarcity, with an annual per capita share of approximately 500 cubic meters, compared to the international water poverty rate (1,000 cubic meters).
Sewilam denied the existence of a water crisis in Egypt, assuring that the country is capable of managing its water challenges thanks to massive investments worth LE500 billion in water projects, including water treatment and recycling.
Egypt has increased the volume of recycled water from 21 billion cubic meters two years ago to an expected 26 billion in the coming months, to address water scarcity and support agriculture in the desert.
The Egyptian minister emphasized that the High Dam plays a crucial role in protecting Egypt from flooding, noting that this year's flooding was above average – a positive indicator.
Sewilam revealed the ministry's use of mathematical models and modern technology to accurately monitor rainfall flows from Nile Basin countries, with a focus on improving the efficiency of water distribution for agriculture and households.
Egypt has repeatedly affirmed its rejection of Ethiopia's unilateral actions, especially after the dam's filling began in 2020 without a tripartite agreement.
In December 2023, Egypt suspended negotiations with Ethiopia after several previous rounds of negotiations failed due to what Sewilam described as Ethiopia's 'evasiveness and procrastination.'
Egypt is demanding a binding agreement that guarantees that its water share will not be harmed, noting that the dam is 'illegal' due to its failure to comply with international law.
It has also expressed concern about the dam's strength, warning of the risk of its collapse for Sudan and Egypt.
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Al-Ahram Weekly
6 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
East Africa stability in focus during Egypt–Kenya foreign ministers call - Foreign Affairs
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed in a phone call on Thursday with Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, recent regional developments in East Africa. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the two ministers affirmed their commitment to ongoing coordination in regional and international fora to advance shared interests and stability in the region. Addressing water security, FM Abdelatty stressed in the call he held with the Kenyan counterpart the importance of adherence to international law regarding shared water resources. He reiterated Egypt's rejection of any unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile Basin that violate international legal norms and called for cooperation based on mutual benefit and legal principles. The ministers also agreed on the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation, particularly through key platforms such as the upcoming fifth edition of the Aswan Forum for Sustainable Peace and Development, scheduled for October. Minister Abdelatty extended an official invitation to his Kenyan counterpart to attend the forum, highlighting its importance in linking peace, security, and development across the continent. On bilateral relations, Minister Abdelatty conveyed President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's greetings to Kenyan President William Ruto and praised the momentum in Egypt–Kenya ties following President Ruto's visit to Cairo in January. A key focus of the call was boosting economic and trade relations. Minister Abdelatty proposed launching a joint business forum at the earliest opportunity to enhance trade and investment, citing abundant opportunities in both countries. He also encouraged Kenya to benefit from Egypt's financing mechanism for development projects in Southern Nile Basin countries, particularly in the fields of water resource management, irrigation, and sustainable development. In addition, the Egyptian minister highlighted Egypt's willingness to support Kenya through training and capacity-building programs offered by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) and the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA). These include specialized programs in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), and broader security and stability efforts. Minister Abdelatty further noted the role of Al-Azhar in promoting tolerance and moderation, expressing Egypt's readiness to organize counter-extremism training courses for Kenyan imams. He also invited Kenyan diplomats to participate in training programs hosted by the Egyptian Diplomatic Studies Institute. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
7 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Combating illegal migration - Features - Al-Ahram Weekly
On 30 July, the Foreign Ministry announced that a boat had sunk off the coast of the Libyan city of Tobruk carrying Egyptian citizens. The Egyptian Consulate General in Benghazi dispatched a delegation to coordinate with the Libyan authorities for the transfer of the bodies to Egypt and to repatriate the survivors. Despite the fact that no illegal migration boats have left Egyptian shores since 2016 when Egypt announced zero boats leaving its coasts, some young men have left Egypt to cross the Mediterranean via neighbouring countries. Efforts are being made in Egypt to find safe alternatives for them after studying the main reasons behind illegal migration. According to a study issued by the State Information Service in 2022, there are several factors responsible for illegal immigration, including economic issues such as unemployment, low wages, and poor living standards, and social factors such as a lack of family ties. Overpopulation can also drive individuals to seek opportunities elsewhere. The state's efforts at the local level to combat illegal migration began with the launch of the first national strategy to combat it in 2016. Law 82/2016 fights illegal migration by imposing deterrent penalties criminalising all forms of migrant smuggling, along with combating the activities of institutions involved in this crime. It also established the National Co-coordinating Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons (NCCPIM&TIP). Egypt participated in the Rome Declaration of the European Union-Horn of Africa Initiative to assist African countries in combating the causes of illegal migration in November 2014 and at the Valletta Summit in Malta on illegal migration in November 2015. In June 2016, Egypt chaired and hosted in Sharm El-Sheikh the second ministerial meeting of the African Union-Horn of Africa Initiative on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling, and in March 2017 Egypt and Italy launched a joint initiative to train police officers from 22 African countries to combat illegal migration. The Ministry of Immigration has begun implementing the presidential Rescue Boats Initiative designed to raise awareness among the most vulnerable groups about the dangers of illegal migration and safe alternatives, according to a plan developed to include 14 governorates and those most prone to illegal migration. The plan also includes training and qualification programmes for the labour market and entrepreneurship, field visits, and door-to-door campaigns to raise awareness among families and minors. Egypt also hosted the First Regional Forum of National Coordinating Bodies to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in Africa in November 2019. The Ministry of Manpower has been providing opportunities for Egyptian young people to train and work in European countries. Furthermore, the government has been working on raising the awareness of young people about the dangerous outcomes of illegal migration through establishing partnerships with international organisations. RAISING AWARENESS: In 2007, the hovernment established NCCPIM&TIP, which aims at raising the awareness of vulnerable groups about illegal migration and building their capacities. It also aims at building a comprehensive legal framework to protect them and ensure their rights while confronting smugglers. Chairperson of the NCCPIM&TIP Naela Gabr told Al-Ahram Weekly that the organisation 'started in 2007 by first establishing a committee to look into trafficking in persons. We worked on preparing a draft law, Law 64 of 2010, on trafficking, and we had some partners working with us from different ministries.' 'At that time, the committee was under the umbrella of the Foreign Ministry, but I suggested that it be affiliated to the cabinet instead. In 2013, then prime minister Hazem Al-Biblawi advised the Foreign Ministry to establish a committee on combating illegal migration, and this started preparing a draft law on illegal migration, the first of its kind in the Middle East, namely Law 82/2016,' she said, adding that the law sanctions the smugglers, but not the smuggled migrants. Members of the committee are chosen according to their background and previous experience, preferably related to the field of justice and human rights including in the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, or the Ministry of Manpower. Some of the smuggling is linked to money laundering, and this means the inclusion of representatives of the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Unit and the Administrative Control Authority in the NCCPIM&TIP. The organisation is 'mandated to draft and amend laws and combat crimes,' Gabr said. 'We are mandated to organise awareness campaigns and to train all the concerned parties like those working in social services and for the ministries of justice and interior. We also train teachers, judges, and diplomats, both Egyptians and foreigners. We offer lectures in three languages, Arabic, French, and English.' They are also working with concerned regional and international organisations in terms of preparing studies, strategies, and action plans, she added. From 2017 to 2024, the NCCPIM&TIP trained 2,796 trainees from the law enforcement and justice authorities, 2,208 from the protection authorities, 1,689 from other national entities, and 2,230 from target groups including youth and their families. In 2016, two studies were prepared that led to the production of a map of Egypt that identified governorates and towns and cities associated with illegal migration such as Kafr Al-Sheikh, Fayoum, Assiut, Luxor, Minya, Beheira, Sharqiya, Daqahliya, Qalioubiya, Menoufiya, and Gharbiya. The NCCPIM&TIP organised media campaigns like 'Your Family... Your Dream… Your Life... No to Illegal Migration' in 2017, which aimed to raise awareness about illegal migration, and another campaign in 2018 called 'Aware of Migrants… Spread the Word… Save a Life.' In 2021, it produced documentary films in partnership with different Ministries. A documentary was filmed in the same year by the Egyptian national handball team and influencers to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal migration. In 2022, the NCCPIM&TIP launched a campaign, 'Your Life is Worth It, Don't Give it Up Easily,' and another documentary about Egyptian migrants returning from abroad. In 2023, it started the current campaign, 'Your Decision will Choose Your Story,' aiming to raise the awareness of youth about illegal migration and safe alternatives. 'There was another campaign with Egyptian football player Hamada Emam, in addition to our latest campaign. 'Your Decision will Choose Your Story' is my favourite, as it is to the point and draws a clear contrast between two scenarios,' Gabr said. She added that they have led other campaigns raising the awareness of young people about exploitation and forms of human-trafficking like contractual marriages and forced labour as well as trafficking in human organs. The NCCPIM&TIP has also launched anti-trafficking in persons media campaigns like 'Facts' on social media (2018), 'Together Against Trafficking in Persons' (2019-2023), which featured documentaries, radio and television announcements, and text messages, and the 'Your Life has Value' campaign (2020). It produced a commemorative LE5 coin with the slogan 'Together Against Trafficking in Persons' in 2022, a visual media campaign in 2023, and a cartoon film. 'My audiences are all Egyptians, both young and old. They are mainly made up of young people between the ages of 18 and 34, but it is not sufficient to speak with them alone. We also need to speak with their families who provide them with money and support as well as their teachers,' Gabr said. OUTREACH: In December 2024, the NCCPIM&TIP launched a youth conference on illegal migration to raise awareness and identify safe alternatives to migrating illegally. In collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration and the Ministry of Education, it initiated six art competitions for school students, a research competition for Cairo University's Faculty of Economics and Political Science, and the first youth chess championship to combat illegal migration. Since 2015, it has also organised the annual 'Buy Egyptian Art' exhibition to help young people market their handmade products. 'This year our competitions were in technical schools, where students were asked to express themselves through art or music,' Gabr said, adding that she visited all the Egyptian governorates with a special focus on Minya. Apart from the lectures, Gabr says that the best way to address young people is through the stories of successful young men and women. 'Every time I visit other governorates, I present success stories to inspire young people. They tell the attendees about what they do to earn a living. I also have representatives of funds like the Micro Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Fund tell young people how they could support them as well as members of the National Council for Women [NCW] because giving housewives financial support is also part of the solution,' she said. 'If women have a status in the family, they can protect and advise their children and prevent them from illegally immigrating,' she says, adding that the NCW also teaches them traditional handcrafts like talli, a form of traditional embroidery. According to Gabr, the National Referral Mechanism supports returnees (those returning from illegal migration) under Law 82/2016, providing them with technical know-how on how to facilitate their return to society and to enable them to work. 'It is a mechanism to empower the detected victims of trafficking, and we are in the process of establishing a similar one for smuggled migrants. We provide the victims with support and have shelters for them. It is formed from members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the victims are coming from abroad, social solidarity staff dealing with shelters, the NCCPIM&TIP, and the Ministry of Health since the victims usually need health providers, both physical and mental,' she explained. 'But I need more support and attention from the media. We also need more support from the business community in terms of providing jobs for the vulnerable,' Gabr said, adding that they are helping them by leading them to job opportunities and to find jobs. 'We also need to prepare a campaign on new forms of exploitation via social media,' she added. 'My vision is to continue offering support from the government and the international community, agencies, and donors as they play a very important role in helping the country give an example to be followed in combating illegal migration on the legislative or the practical level or the level of studies.' 'This is the best way of protecting European countries from illegal migration. But we need support from these countries in terms of providing jobs for Egyptian youth through development projects in Egypt and facilitating legal migration,' Gabr said. Mohamed Tharwat from Sharqiya had been considering leaving the country until he joined the Multi-Educational Programme for Employment Promotion in Migration-Affected Areas (MEPEP), which has changed his life. He is now the owner of a car-maintenance centre in Egypt. 'I had always wanted to travel to Italy in any way possible, and I was saving for the opportunity. I had no idea what field I was going to work in at the time. At the same time, I was afraid to migrate illegally because I was afraid that I would not survive,' Tharwat said. 'I have a passion for cars, but I did not know how to start or who would teach me if I wanted to work with cars instead. Then I found an advertisement on the Internet and I filled in an application. After a month I received a call informing me that I had been accepted at the Istituto Salesiano Don Bosco, an Italian institute. I joined the car-maintenance training course and learnt a lot about fixing cars. I then used the money I had saved for migration to launch my own project, a car-maintenance centre,' he said. MEPEP is a programme that has been working on both raising awareness and providing training and job opportunities for youth in vulnerable areas. It is a programme that was funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) and was intended to address the root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. It was also funded and implemented by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). It has been working with the Egyptian government represented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Education and Technical Education. MEPEP aims at addressing the root causes of illegal migration by fostering a more inclusive social and economic environment through improving Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Egypt. EU-MEPEP focuses on curricula enhancement, modern teaching methodologies, skills acquisition for students and building sustainable employment pathways, bridging the gap between education and the labour market. 'MEPEP is part of the 16 million Euro bilateral programmes with Egypt under the EUTF, the EU's programme that supports Egypt's 2030 Vision for sustainable growth and social inclusion,' said head of section for governance, social inclusion, and migration at the European Union Delegation in Egypt Anne Kofoed. 'It is a vision that addresses the creation of opportunities for youth in migration-affected areas. It is also a vision addressing the drivers of irregular migration through stable socio-economic development.' Kofoed said that the success of such projects lies in their ability to address skill gaps through individual and international efforts to modernise TVET. 'As we look to the future, we need to build on these successful efforts. Let us strive to build opportunities to empower individuals, support sustainable development, and address the root causes of migration and also to strengthen the TVET sector here in Egypt,' she said. 'The project was a real start to develop a sustainable partnership in developing vocational and technical education that matches the goals of the Ministry of Industry to improve the quality of technical and professional skills of workers. It has resulted in the development of the quality of vocational education, as well as catering to the needs of the labour market through developing educational syllabuses and presenting youth with modern skills, providing more job opportunities and enhancing co-operation with parties in the private sector and developing infrastructure,' said Director of TVET at the Ministry of Industry Ehab Abdallah. 'This initiative aimed at preparing well-qualified managers ready for the labour market and a generation of young people able to excel whether in Egypt or abroad. It provides training opportunities in many factories as well as applied technology schools,' commented Director of Government Relations at the Federation of Egyptian Industries Gehad Amer. 'We aim at improving the quality of training and education in industry and to enhance the abilities of our young people so that they are ready for the labour market,' Amer said, adding that 'I hope future projects will also focus on empowering women in the workplace.' * A version of this article appears in print in the 7 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Mada
8 hours ago
- Mada
Egypt doubles down on Israeli natural gas imports in US$35 bn deal with 14% price increase
A US$35 billion gas deal announced on Thursday will see Egypt redouble its energy dependence on Israeli fields as an expansion of a landmark 2018 deal between the two countries. Per the terms of the deal, the Egyptian side will pay about US$35 million more per billion cubic meters than it did under the terms of the previous deal, a 14.8 percent increase, per Mada Masr's calculations. Over the course of the deal, which runs to 2040, Egypt will import an additional 130 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Israel's Leviathan field. The deal, which is still pending key expansion in pipeline and extraction infrastructure, was announced as part of a shareholder disclosure by Israel's NewMed Energy firm, a partner in the development of Israel's Leviathan gas field. The agreement marks the end of months of negotiations to expand the volume of Israeli natural gas piped to Egypt to support the government in meeting growing domestic energy demand. The talks have continued in parallel to Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, even as the war has placed a strain on bilateral relations. The 2018 agreement saw the Egyptian company Dolphinus Holdings agree to pay $15 billion for around 64 billion cubic meters of Israeli natural gas over a 10-year period to Delek and Noble Energy, the partners managing Israel's Tamar and Leviathan offshore fields. The buyer named by NewMed in the shareholder notice one Thursday is Blue Ocean Energy, a company that Mada Masr revealed to be a subsidiary of Dolphinus Holdings in a 2018 investigation. Dolphinus and Blue Ocean partnered at the time to import and resell the Israeli gas with East Gas, a firm majority-owned by the General Intelligence Services. The two sides have been in negotiations for months to increase the volumes of gas piped to Egypt from Israel, a former Petroleum Ministry official and a government source told Mada Masr earlier this year. The sources anticipated that Egypt would ultimately accede to Israel's demand for a higher price per million thermal units of natural gas in the negotiations, since Israeli-piped gas remains the cheapest alternative available to boost much-needed supplies. However, the Thursday notice cautions that there is 'no assurance' that the deal will be fulfilled, given pending conditions. These conditions include planned expansions to the Ashdod-Asheklon pipeline and to the Leviathan field itself. The pipeline expansion agreement was inked in 2021, but its completion date has been repeatedly delayed since then. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Leviathan field is pending a final investment decision and a transmission agreement with Israel Natural Gas Lines, the state body managing the pipeline. According to the notice, these terms must be met by September 30, 2025 for the deal to go forward. The parties to the deal can invoke a six-month extension to this deadline if necessary. The deal comes as Egypt faces a swelling energy import bill to fill the gap between domestic supply and consumption. About a third of the total demand needs to be met by additional inputs. While the country currently requires between 4 and 6 billion cubic feet of gas per day, local production has continued to drop to around 4 billion cubic feet, according to data published earlier this year by the Joint Organizations Data Initiative coordinated by the International Energy Forum. Israeli fields are already committed under the earlier agreements to export around 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas to Egypt per year. Israel has repeatedly halted supply since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023. The most recent halt came in June during Israel's 12-day war with Iran, when production at Leviathan was paused amid concerns that Iran might target the facility. This disruption meant that industrial facilities in Egypt were without gas supplies. Throughout Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, Egypt has faced criticism for not doing more to bring a halt to the suffering and killing of Palestinians. Tensions have reached new heights in recent months as the Israeli-orchestrated famine in Gaza worsens, with protesters and critics calling for Egypt to open its side of the Rafah border in order to allow aid into Gaza. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has publicly pushed back against this criticism in recent weeks. Earlier this week, the president struck out against the international community for its inaction and described the allegations made by some that Egypt is participating in the siege and starvation of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as 'bankruptcy' and 'strange talk.' Faced with an energy gap over the last two summers, Egypt has adopted triage measures that have included planned rolling blackouts, sparking popular anger due to the lengthy outages, stretching for up to six hours at a time in some cases, amid the scorching heat. The Petroleum Ministry supplemented its energy mixture of mazut and natural gas by boosting expensive liquified natural gas imports, which are expected to cost $19 billion this year compared to $12 billion in 2024, according to a ministry report reviewed by Mada Masr. This costly pivot was undertaken to get ahead of growing public discontent, government officials told Mada Masr.
